Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The graph shows the historical percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020 and its forecast for 2030 and 2040. Overall, Malaysia and Philippines were the most urbanized, while Thailand and Indonesia had the least urban population in 1970; however, Indonesia will surpass Philippines and Thailand will be the least urbanized in 2040.

Philippines and Malaysia were the most urbanized by having approximately 32% and 30% of population livinig in cities in 1970. Malaysia sustained the significant growth rate of urbanization and it is predicated to be the most urbanized in 2040 when its 80% population will be living in cities; However, the percentage of the population living in cities in Philippines peaked at 50% in 1990 and then it fell until 2010 before rising again at the same levels in 2030 and it is forecasted to reach at 50% in 2040.

In Thailand and Indonesia, approximately 14% and 19% of population respectively were living in cities in 1970. In 2000, the figures grew at 30% but Indonesia demonstrated very high migration of people moving from rural areas to city areas and it is forecasted to have 60% of its population living in cities in 2040. Thailand sustained moderate growth rate in urbanization and it is predictated to have around the half of population still living in rural areas in 2040.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview and reporting the key features and trends across the four countries from 1970 to 2040. An overview is present in the introduction, effectively outlining the starting positions and the ultimate projection for 2040. However, some aspects of the task are developed more fully than others, and certain details are slightly imprecise or under-developed. For instance, the text claims the Philippines peaked at 50% in 1990, whereas the data shows a different trajectory, and some comparisons lack depth. To reach a higher level, the student needs to ensure all specific data points cited are completely accurate and provide a more fully developed, balanced comparison of the trends over the entire timeframe.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logic that is easy to follow. Information is grouped into sensible paragraphs: an introduction with an overview, followed by separate body paragraphs for the pairs of countries. Cohesive devices are used effectively to connect ideas, such as 'however' and 'in 2000', displaying features of higher bands. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or faulty, as seen with punctuation errors around transitional words like '; However,'. Referencing and logical progression are mostly clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. To achieve a higher band, the student should refine the use of cohesive devices and punctuation to ensure seamless transitions between clauses and sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'urbanized', 'urbanization', 'migration', and 'forecasted'. There is a sufficient grasp of vocabulary to communicate the main trends clearly. However, there are some word-choice and word-form errors that prevent the score from being higher, such as 'livinig' (a spelling error), 'predicated' instead of 'predicted', and slightly unnatural phrasing like 'grew at 30%'. These minor inaccuracies do not impede communication, but they reflect a Band 6 level. To improve, the student should focus on precision in word choice, correct spelling, and accurate collocations when discussing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting various subordinate clauses and time markers like 'from 1970 to 2020 and its forecast for 2030 and 2040'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('of population' instead of 'of the population'), incorrect prepositions ('reach at 50%'), and run-on structures or faulty semi-colon usage. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To move up to the next band, the student must produce a higher proportion of error-free sentences and demonstrate greater control over complex grammatical patterns, articles, and prepositions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.